Half a Heart
by Rain of the Rogues
Summary: Red is an outcast in the world where cats partially resemble a different animal. Born into BirdClan, Red's destiny is not to prevail as a warrior, but to be left out to die at the age of six-moons. If the half-animal Clans won't accept her, who will? That's when Red sets out on a quest to find a home. And that's when she meets the warrior Clans of the forest.


**A/N: Long, long ago there were three Clans in the forest...****  
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Allegiances

**BIRDCLAN**

LEADER: Sparrowstar – has wings like a sparrow [tom]

DEPUTY: Quailheart – has the head of a quail [she-cat]

MEDICINE CAT: Robinwing – has red robin wings [she-cat]  
Apprentice, Larkpaw – has feathers on her sides like a lark

WARRIORS:

Thrushclaw – has thrush claws instead of real claws [tom]  
Apprentice, Ostrichpaw

Penguinpelt – black and white like a penguin [tom]

Flamingofoot – has a flamingo beak [she-cat]  
Apprentice, Owlpaw

Pigeonheart – pigeon beak [tom]

Red – russet-furred she-cat

Parrotstep – brilliantly colored like a parrot [she-cat]

Hawknight – has vision like a hawk [tom]

Falconflight – has wings like a falcon [she-cat]  
Apprentice, Starlingpaw

Kestrelfeather – has feathers on sides like a kestrel [tom]

Kitebeak – has a beak of a kite, very tiny [she-cat]

Ospreyclaw – has claws like an osprey [tom]

Eaglepelt – brown and white like an eagle [she-cat]

APPRENTICES:

Ostrichpaw – has long neck like an ostrich [tom]

Owlpaw – has big eyes like an owl [she-cat]

Starlingpaw – feathers on sides [she-cat]

QUEENS:

Condorsight – sight like a condor's [mother to Vulturekit]

ELDERS:

Buzzardbeak – voice sounds like a buzzard's [tom]

Gullflight – wings on sides [she-cat]

**REPTILECLAN**

LEADER: Lizzardstar – has a coat like a lizard [she-cat]

DEPUTY: Salamandartail – has a tail like a salamander [tom]

MEDICINE CAT: Crocodileteeth – has teeth like a crocodile [tom]

WARRIORS:

Snaketongue – has a tongue like a snake [tom]

Turtleshell – has a shell like a turtle [she-cat]  
Apprentice, Iguanapaw

Pythontail – has a tail that looks like a python [she-cat]  
Apprentice, Tortoisepaw

Viperbite – fangs like a viper [tom]

Cobrafang – can spit poison like a cobra [tom]

Adderstrike – strikes like an adder [tom]

Komodoleap – head like a komodo dragon [she-cat]

Geckofoot – has feet like a gecko

QUEENS:

Alligatortail – has the tail of an alligator [mother to Camillionkit]

APPRENTICES:

Iguanapaw – has spikes on head like an iguana [she-cat]

Tortoisepaw – shell like a tortoise [tom]

ELDERS:

Basiliskpelt – coat of basilisk [tom]

**MAMMALCLAN**

LEADER: Mousestar – tail like a mouse's [tom]

DEPUTY: Rabbitheart – fur like a rabbit's [she-cat]

MEDICINE CAT: Monkeyflight – head of a monkey's [tom]  
Apprentice, Baboontail – tail of a baboon [she-cat]

WARRIORS:

Armadillopelt – coat of armor like an armadillo [tom]  
Apprentice, Batpaw

Coyotehead – head of a coyote [tom]  
Apprentice, Wolfpaw

Mooseantler – has antlers like a moose [she-cat]  
Apprentice, Otterpaw

Elkleg - has legs and feet like an elk [tom]

Tigerfrost – head of a tiger [she-cat]

Lionroar – head of a lion [tom]

Foxfur – fur like a fox's [she-cat]

Cheetahspring – can run like a cheetah [tom]

Horsehair – has a mane like a horse [she-cat]

Koalaflight – can cling to trees like a koala [she-cat]

QUEENS:

Lemurtail – has a tail of a lemur [mother to Squirrelkit and Harekit]

ELDERS:

Kangarooleap – can leap like a kangaroo, has a pouch [she-cat]

**PROLOUGE**

_Ospreyclaw paced outside the nursery, thoughts swimming._  
Nervousness tingled at his paws, and he couldn't help but glance back at the den when a cry of pain squeaked through the entrance. His mate, Falconflight, was having her first litter of kits. Ospreyclaw shuddered. They had no experience, and therefore, both didn't know what to expect.

"YOU'RE DONE!" Ospreyclaw skidded into the nursery at the sound of Robinwing's triumphant yowl. His kits!

Falconflight lay huddled in a nest of moss, Flamingofoot and Larkpaw licking her head gently. Beside her nestled a single kit with startling russet fur. It was moon-high, and Ospreyclaw had to strain his eyes to glimpse his new kit. She slept soundly, chest rising and falling every so often. "She's beautiful," Ospreyclaw murmured, muzzling the kit warmly.

Falconflight exhaled deeply. "She is," she agreed, making a low, crooning noise. Ospreyclaw looked her over. "Where's her animal side?" He whispered, careful not to wake his kit.

The three Clans of the forest, BirdClan, MammalClan, and ReptileClan, all depended on the animal side of their cats. Each cat was part animal, and was categorized into three groups, hence the names.

Ospreyclaw suddenly began to feel nauseated as his gaze bore over the kit. Being a new kit of BirdClan, where was her bird side?

Falconflight looked equally worried. Flamingofoot and Larkpaw had continued licking her with long, soothing strokes, but each of their ears were pricked with curiosity. Even Robinwing had curled her tail around her paws. It was as if they were all in for a good explanation.

"I don't know," whispered Falconflight. "Ever since she opened her eyes, I've been looking for any sight of whether or not she has any bird-like features. We need to come up with a name." Falconflight's golden eyes pooled with wariness. "I can't find any," she concluded, looking back down at her kit. Ospreyclaw sniffed the russet-furred she-kit. Unlike the rest of the BirdClan kits, she didn't immediately wake and start mewing. She lay fast asleep, curled into a ball and not even crying for milk.

Robinwing stood next to the tom frigidly, eying the kit with sudden coldness. "What is it?" Ospreyclaw murmured. Robinwing shook her head slowly, eyes sad. "This kit has _no_ bird side. Or mammal side. Or reptile side. She has no animal side at all."

Larkpaw and Flamingofoot gasped; Falconflight bowed her head and Ospreyclaw looked away.

"She will be banished when she reaches six moons, and leave us forever. We cannot poison our line of cats with one who has no bird-like features."  
Falconflight let out a small wail. Ospreyclaw took a step forward. "There has to be another way -"  
"No," Robinwing snarled. "Her name will be Red, hence the color of her pelt."

Ospreyclaw looked back down at Red, his heart gripping in pain. Oh, his poor, poor kit …

"The time before her banishment has begun," Robinwing declared. With that, the red medicine cat whisked out of the nursery, leaving Ospreyclaw to close his eyes in pain.

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**A/N: Review and spread the word! Red's path will be a difficult one!**

**~Rain of the Rogues**


End file.
